Rudd switches tack on emissions legislation

By Michelle Grattan

September 22, 2009 — 12.00am

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has undermined his own argument that his emissions trading legislation must be passed before Copenhagen, admitting its defeat has not hampered his role in international climate-change talks.

The Government has previously insisted the legislation's early passage is needed to maximise its muscle for Copenhagen as well as to provide business certainty.

A charicature of Kevin Rudd sits on a bed in Port Phillip as part of an Oxfam campaign.Credit:Jason South

But Mr Rudd, in New York for United Nations climate talks, drew on his recent Senate defeat to refute suggestions US influence is weakened by the stalling of legislation in the US Senate.

''Let me give you a parallel,'' he told CNN. ''Australia is very active in climate change … We are into these negotiations big time. But you know something? Our domestic emissions trading scheme was also voted down by our Senate a very short time ago. That doesn't impede me from being active in these negotiations, and my observations of President Obama is that it doesn't impede him either.''

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Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said Mr Rudd was ''telling Australians one thing at home and telling Americans another thing abroad''. Mr Rudd's statement to the Americans ''takes away his own argument for a [trading] system before the world comes to an agreement,'' he said. There should be global agreement first ''so as our action is not futile by merely acting alone''.

Mr Hunt said Mr Rudd's case for the legislation passing in November was also weakened by the shaky state of the international negotiations. ''Copenhagen is looking a little less certain. It is likely to be a process rather than an outcome on the day,'' Mr Hunt said. The US legislation was not likely to be passed until early next year, he said.

Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a speech at Monash University: ''The Government is determined to get its emissions trading legislation through.''

But acting Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said it would be ''madness'' for Australia to lock itself in before knowing what the rest of the world will do. Her strong wording comes despite Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull's desire to cut a deal when the Government insists on a November vote - to head off a possible double dissolution.

In New York the Government is pushing a compromise in the climate talks, in which developing countries would have more flexible reduction targets.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said the national schedules Australia was urging for these countries could reflect different types of actions and commitments. There could be targets linked to energy intensity, renewable energy, energy efficiency and deforestation rates. ''These are all policies domestically that various developing countries might put in place to reduce their emissions from their business-as-usual trajectory,'' she said.

Mr Hunt said the Opposition would support the approach provided it was not a ''softening up to let Indonesia, China and India off the hook''.

Though the final form could be flexible, ''there's got to be some form of binding measurable commitment''.

Greens leader Senator Bob Brown said the Government was ''going for an agreement at all costs rather than … an actual tackling of the problem of climate change. Of course you can get an agreement on almost anything if you go for the lowest common denominator.''